Rice needs the right water-to-grain ratio to come out perfectly fluffy and delicious. You can use your finger as a measuring tool to make it easy.

The Kitchn calls it the “first knuckle method,” and I was delighted to come across it, because it’s something my mom taught me when I was little. They explain:

It’s simple: pour the rice into the pan you’re going to cook it in. Level it out and place your index finger so that it is touching the surface of the rice. Add enough water so that it comes up to your first knuckle — I usually use the crease on the palm-side of my finger.

To be clear, this is the first line of your finger from the top. It doesn’t matter how much rice to you use, the idea is to make sure the water reaches that line of your finger. They mention that it’s puzzling that this can be a universal method, because everyone’s fingers are different. But I’ve seen most everyone in my family use this method, and I’ve recommended it to others when cooking rice, and the rice always comes out the way it’s supposed to. It’s not soggy, and it’s not undercooked. It’s fluffy and slightly sticky. Depending on your dish, you don’t always want this consistency. I grew up using this method for Chinese and Thai dishes.

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Granted, it’s probably better to measure everything out precisely, but when you’re a lazy cook like me, this method works surprisingly well. You can check out the full post at the link below.